When will the next Cedar Waxwing invasion occur in Central America?
Cedar Waxwings sometimes invade Central America in large numbers between the months of January and May. But not every year. In fact most years, no waxwings are reported in most Central American countries. According to eBird records, during the last 10 years, there were major invasions in 2010, 2007, and 2005. This month, however, Angel Solis reported 32 waxwings in Alajuela, Costa Rica (see his list). Is this the beginning of an invasion?
Waxwings normally breed and winter in North America, where they eat berries and other small fruits. During the winter, they survive on dried fruits throughout the U.S. But if it gets too cold, or if the fruit crop gets used up, the waxwings move farther south, sometimes as far as Panama. This month and last, record cold temperatures have swept across North America.
Four years have passed since large flocks of waxwings were reported in several countries of Central America. We request that birders make a special effort to report their sightings of Cedar Waxwing this year and in the future. Help eBird track changes in seasonal migration patterns of this species. Global climate change may be contributing to changes in migration patterns of waxwings and other species, and observation data in eBird will help evaluate that hypothesis over the long term.